Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he did last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the victor. However, second place in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion two years ago.
The driver wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
